Baby born at 33,000 feet during long-haul Finnair flight

by Jeffrey White on

Back in the summer I posted about a woman going into labor on a Korean Air flight and giving birth at 37,000 feet.

Now comes the latest high altitude delivery. A Swedish woman traveling on a Finnair flight today gave birth to a baby girl at 33,000 feet while flying over Kazakhstan on her way from Helsinki to Bangkok.

Who came to the woman’s aid? Luckily there were two doctors and two nurses among the 227 passengers on this 11-hour flight; they quickly responded, stayed by the woman’s side and saw her through the delivery (technically, they only assisted the birth, since there was a satellite hook-up to medical service on the ground).

Finnair says it’s the first time a baby has ever been born on one of its flights, and is reportedly giving the new family a free return trip from Bangkok.

Both mother and new born daughter are reportedly doing fine.

Photo of the Day (11/20/08)

by Kent Wien on

Today’s photo of the day is by Flickr contributor Bedouin77. These gulls were the perfect target for his Canon 5D. The clarity and sharpness of these birds in flight is rather impressive. The shot was captured in Solalé, Cuba last year.

It reminds me of a scene out of Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. It’s as if the two parents are squawking behind Jonathon saying:

“Why Jon, why?” His mother asked. “Why is it so hard to be like the rest of the flock, Jon? Why can’t you leave low flying to the pelicans, the albatross?

Nice work, Bedouin77!

Are you a Flickr user who’d like to share a travel related picture or two for our consideration? Submit it to Gadling’s Flickr group right now! We just might use it for our Photo of the Day!

Obese passengers in Canada have the right to two seats for price of one

by Anna Brones on

Obesity on airlines is becoming a big issue. Just a couple weeks ago a flight attendant was ruled too fat to fly, and of course the overweight passenger debate is always one that flares up people’s opinions. There are two schools of thought. The first is from the view of the passenger stuck next to an overweight one who takes up more than their fair share of space; a lot of people believe that they should have to pay for a second seat. But the second opinion comes from overweight passengers themselves, who believe that they have a right to more space.

According to Reuters, today the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in the direction of the latter, declaring that obese people have the right to two seats for the price of one on flights within Canada. The original decision had been made by the Canadian Transportation Authority, who claimed that people that are “functionally disabled by obesity” deserve to have two seats for one fare. The Canadian airlines went to appeal, but the high court declined to hear it, meaning that the decision now stands.

Do you think the official decision is a fair one?

Zero Star Hotel opens in Switzerland fallout shelter

by Annie Scott on

Oh, Switzerland.

In a subterranean fallout shelter in Sevelen, Switzerland, the Null Stern Hotel, biliing itself as “The World’s First Zero Star Hotel” is preparing to open its crappy, crappy doors.

“Null stern” actually means “zero star,” which is a little relieving. They’re being clever, not insane. Normally, this is a cultural misunderstanding we have with Norway. Maybe we’ve misjudged Switzerland.

The Null Stern Hotel will cost between 6 and 18 euros per night, and includes former bomb shelter facilities, no daylight, slippers, earplugs, communal bathrooms and showers, and a butler (there was one in the photo shoot, I’m not sure he’ll be there when you show up).

We don’t know why they get earplugs.

The Null Stern hotel will open in early 2009, but recently opened up to volunteers for a test run. See the photos here.

What to do in Sevelen? I don’t know. But at least you know there’s a bomb shelter where you can stay. If you can read German, here you go.

Product review – Philips goLITE BLU light therapy device

by Scott Carmichael on

In this product review, I’m going to introduce you to the Philips goLITE BLU light therapy device.

The goLITE is a portable bluewave light, designed to reduce the impact of seasonal affective disorder, or other disorders where your bodies clock is messed up, including jetlag.

I first became interested in the technology behind these devices when I picked one up at a Costco several years ago. Being the geek I am, anything with lights and buttons that claims to help make me feel better is always worth trying.

Thankfully, the positive effects of blue light treatment are not just another wacky technology sold in infomercials at 3am. The effects have been studied by the Mayo clinic, Nasa and the US National Institute of Health.

Subjecting yourself to blue light, stimulates your brain to create more Serotonin, which is what researchers believe to be the key to reducing winter blues and other mood and energy problems.

The blue light also suppresses the creation of Melatonin, which is responsible for our hibernation patterns.

Finally, researchers have also concluded that the blue light can help reset our circadian rhythm, which is particularly helpful if you are trying to reduce the impact of jetlag.
My first blue light device was from Apollo Health, and their products were apparently so impressive that electronics conglomerate Philips purchased the company. To me, the support from a large company like Philips also helps reinforce the claims made of how blue light can help you.

Let’s move on to the device itself – The new goLITE BLU is a small 5.5″x5.5″, 1 pound device with up to 10,000 lux of blue light. The device is powered by an internal rechargeable battery and has an LCD screen with touch sensitive controls.

The goLITE has a small removable stand on the back, which is held in place by a magnet. When you want to use the device, you simply place the stand in a small hole in the back.

The touch sensitive controls regulate the brightness in 4 steps, adjust the light therapy duration, and allow you to set the time.

One of the most interesting features for travelers, is the ability to wake to light. Imagine waking up in your hotel room to soothing blue light, instead of the roar of the wood grain hotel alarm clock. Of course, if light is not enough to wake you, you can also enable a soothing chime on the unit.

The goLITE comes with a nice carrying case, so it makes the perfect travel alarm clock. The internal battery should last for 4-5 treatment sessions of light therapy.

Of course, the big question is whether the goLITE BLU actually works. Since I am often stuck in my office for days at a time, and have to suffer through the 6 month winter of the Midwest, I’m happy to report that I often did see quite an improvement in my mood, especially on dull and dark days.

I’ve also packed my blue light in my luggage for long haul trips, and brief treatments of the light really did make the impact of jetlag go away quicker. If you want to learn more about the process of reducing the impact of jetlag using the goLITE, you can read the tips on page 16 of the user guide (PDF link!)

It could be the geek in me that responds well to gadgets, but I honestly believe the technology behind the product works as advertised.

The Philips goLITE BLU costs $279, and comes with a full 30 day guarantee, which should be long enough to see how well you respond to the product. The unit comes complete with a protective carrying case and a US charger. An international charger kit is available from Philips for $15.